Middle school preview: Knights, Cavs teams to beat?

Published: Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 11:31 PM.

GASTONIA — A year ago in the Gaston County Middle School Conference basketball regular season race, Grier’s boys and W.C. Friday’s girls rolled through unbeaten seasons.

In the playoffs, only Friday was able to keep that unblemished mark as Grier fell in the championship game against Mount Holly.

As the season begins today, the county’s coaches expect a repeat of 2012 as Grier’s boys and Friday’s girls are favorites to again win the league race. In the boys race, Grier received six first-place votes out of seven (some coaches didn’t vote). And in the girls race, Friday received five first-place votes with Cramerton, Grier and Holbrook receiving one vote each.

Grier’s boys will enter the season with a new coach, but one with previous success at rival York Chester. Guy Spader guided the Cougars to a 25-9 record from 2005-07, leading them to the playoffs each season, including the 2006 title game.

GASTONIA — A year ago in the Gaston County Middle School Conference basketball regular season race, Grier’s boys and W.C. Friday’s girls rolled through unbeaten seasons.

In the playoffs, only Friday was able to keep that unblemished mark as Grier fell in the championship game against Mount Holly.

As the season begins today, the county’s coaches expect a repeat of 2012 as Grier’s boys and Friday’s girls are favorites to again win the league race. In the boys race, Grier received six first-place votes out of seven (some coaches didn’t vote). And in the girls race, Friday received five first-place votes with Cramerton, Grier and Holbrook receiving one vote each.

Grier’s boys will enter the season with a new coach, but one with previous success at rival York Chester. Guy Spader guided the Cougars to a 25-9 record from 2005-07, leading them to the playoffs each season, including the 2006 title game.

With the Knights, Spader has one returning starter and five other returning players from last season’s 11-1 team that dropped a 27-25 heartbreaker to Mount Holly at Ashbrook High’s Larry Rhodes Gymnasium in the 2012 championship game.

Southwest received the other first-place vote. The Roadrunners return three starters and have the county’s winningest active coach in 14th year Brad Sloan (84-56 record)

Friday’s girls also have a new coach in Brooke Scoggins, who inherits one returning starter and six other returning players from a team that went 12-0 last season and defeated visiting Stanley 37-30 in the 2012 championship game.

The 11-date regular season schedule ends March 4, with the top four boys and girls teams advancing to the semifinals March 7. The boys championship game is slated for March 11 and the girls title game is scheduled for March 12.